Custom domain guide

How to connect a Squarespace Domains domain to GitHub Pages

The exact records to add at Squarespace Domains, written the way its form asks for them, for both www and the bare domain.

Checked 16 October 2026

In short

The records you'll add

Type
ALIAS
Name
Data

Replace the capitals with your own value from the host's dashboard.

Type
CNAME
Name
Data

Replace the capitals with your own value from the host's dashboard.

Your user or organization name, without the repository name

Step by step

Set it up

  1. 1

    Add the domain in GitHub Pages first

    In GitHub Pages, go to Repository→Settings→Pages→Custom domain and enter your domain (for example www.example.com). With records for both www and the bare domain, GitHub Pages redirects one to the other. GitHub recommends making www the main address.

    Custom domains are free.

  2. 2

    Open the DNS records at Squarespace Domains

    Sign in, then go to Domains→your domain→DNS→DNS Settings→Custom Records

    The domain has to use Squarespace's nameservers (Nameserver Connect).

  3. 3

    Clear what's in the way

    Domains come with a "Squarespace Defaults" group that points the domain at a Squarespace site. Delete it (the trash icon next to Squarespace Defaults) if the domain is moving away from Squarespace.

  4. 4

    Add the record for www

    Click Add record and add:

    Type
    CNAME
    Name
    Data

    Replace the capitals with your own value from the host's dashboard.

    Your user or organization name, without the repository name

  5. 5

    Point the bare domain

    Squarespace Domains has an ALIAS record, which can point the bare domain at a hostname. It keeps working if GitHub Pages changes its addresses.

    Type
    ALIAS
    Name
    Data

    Replace the capitals with your own value from the host's dashboard.

  6. 6

    Wait, then check

    Changes at Squarespace Domains take effect within 48 hours. Once GitHub Pages sees the records, it issues the certificate for https by itself. Use the check below to see what the world sees.

Check your domain

Once the records are in, see whether the world can see them pointing at GitHub Pages.

Changes can take from a few minutes to a day to show up everywhere.

Good to know

Common snags

  • Add the domain in the repository's Pages settings before creating the records, so nobody else can claim it.
  • Never use a wildcard record (*.example.com): it lets others take over your subdomains.
  • Turn on Enforce HTTPS once it becomes available, which can take up to 24 hours.
  • To add an ALIAS record, first turn off DNS Security Extensions under DNS, then DNSSEC.
  • Squarespace asks for your password again before adding a record.
  • A CNAME can't use @ as its name.

Still not working?

Questions

Before you start

Should I use www or the bare domain with GitHub Pages?

With records for both www and the bare domain, GitHub Pages redirects one to the other. GitHub recommends making www the main address. www always works with a single CNAME; the bare domain depends on what Squarespace Domains offers, covered in step 5.

Why does my site show a certificate error?

The certificate is issued once GitHub Pages sees your records, which can take a while after DNS changes. If it stays, check for old records on the same name (parking pages, AAAA records) and, at Cloudflare, that the record is set to DNS only.

Will this affect my email?

No. Email uses MX records, which these steps don't touch. Only change the records for @ and www.

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